Two Part Family (In Two Parts)

Part Two: "The Wonder Years" (As in, I wonder what I was thinking!)

Previously on Two Part Family:

Nick is born.

Ian is born.

We decide to expand.

To say "after about ten years we decided to expand" is misleading. It was more like God (or fate) decided for us. Without getting too personal, I was convinced that I was no longer able to conceive. Boy, was I wrong! It's hard to remember exactly what I was going through emotionally at the time. I remember feelings of disbelief eventually giving way to acceptance, and later excitement. Would I finally have a daughter? Was I getting too old for this? All the usual questions that any expectant mother asks with the added worry of health concerns for the baby due to my age. I also wondered how my sons Nick (now 12) and Ian (10) were going to take the news that they were about to become "big" brothers.

Ian teared-up when I told him the news. I believe it was quite overwhelming for his young mind to fathom that he was going to have a baby in the house. Nick responded in typical pre-teen fashion,"Whaaaa? Ummmm Okay."

Mark (Marko) arrived June 26 via C-section on his grandmother's birthday, two days before mine. Armed with the wonderful gift of perspective and the "insiders" knowledge of just how fast infancy turns into childhood, and childhood into (gulp) teenager(dom?). My DH and I truly enjoy Marko. It's not like we didn't enjoy the older boys, but when you realize how fast life goes, you really do make an effort to let the small stuff go and take time to smell those roses.

A funny thing about life, when you think you have it under control and you're actually making efforts to enjoy it, that's when it's time to watch out for the curve ball you will inevitably be thrown. About a month after Marko celebrated his first birthday I began to get that "oh no" feeling again. "Could I be..? No! Impossible! " Maybe I did want to try for a little girl after all . . .

Mary Catherine (finally, a girl) arrived April 1 on her great-grandmother's birthday. This C-section was much more difficult and my OB warned this should probably be my last. She needn't have bothered as I was more than 40 and had begun to seriously question my sanity.

Life still moves along pretty fast. Nick (now 17) will graduate next month. Ian (15) will start to drive this summer. Marko (5) will be entering first grade in September and I have just registered Mary Catherine (4) for Pre-K.

Most days I feel blessed to have my little two-part family. The older boys are a terrific help with their younger siblings. Marko is very funny and always has us laughing at something. Mary Catherine is (as expected) a princess who is doted on by her three older brothers and Dad. However, there are those rare days, when the older boys are fighting (loudly), Marko and Mary are running around taking every toy in the house and leaving them on the floor, the older boys stop fighting long enough to play their amplified guitars and drums, and Marko and Mary start fighting over whose turn it is or some such thing. These days, these days are the days of wonder (refer to sub-title).

Oh, you didn't think I was going to end a two-part story without an exciting cliff-hanger type ending did you? As of this morning I am exactly four days late.

My Two Identities At Battle

As a journalist, I am supposed to stay neutral and unbiased covering every-day news stories at WCSH NEWS CENTER 6. But as a mother, that is sometimes impossible.

Such was the case this week when we covered the sentencing of Todd Gamache, a Lewiston man who plead guilty to manslaughter in the death of 8-month old Emmy-Leigh Cole.

Over the trial period, I have been speaking with the mother of Emmy-Leigh, and reading her two myspace pages dedicated to the life of her daughter. Emmy-Leigh was a gorgeous child with bright blue eyes and a warm smile.

No one knows what happened on back in March 2007, when she was rushed to the emergency room after being in the care of Todd Gamache. Gamache claims she slipped from his hands following a bath, twice. But the wounds on her battered body told a different story according to prosecutors, and Gamache was looking at a murder trial. He made a plea agreement with the state, down to manslaughter. On Wednesday, a judge sentenced Gamache to 14 years behind bars for the death of Emmy. Emmy's mom made a statement to reporters that she was satisfied with the judgment.

Since her death, Emmy's mom has become an advocate against child abuse. She recently attended and helped promote a vigil for Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness held in Old Orchard Beach. She has met with state leaders on the cause. She wants to make a difference in the name of her daughter Emmy, and I think that is remarkable.

This was the most difficult story I ever worked on. For I too, have an 8-month old daughter. It is impossible to not personalize this mother's pain and fury. I simply can not imagine the pure horror she must suffer.

So I did what I could do within my limited power as a journalist, and suggested and helped research a special series report for this May sweeps period on Shaken Baby Syndrome. On Thursday night, WCSH reporter Brian Yocono will take a look at the work being done to education people, especially men, on the danger of shaking a baby.

You can catch it at 6pm on WCSH NEWS CENTER 6.

Being both a mother and a journalist, I am proud of this report.

What Would You Do?

Did anyone hear the story about the woman (a columnist for The New York Sun), who let her 9 year old son find his way home by subway in New York City? Her son had been asking for quite some time to ride home alone. She finally gave in. So she left him in midtown Manhattan with a Metrocard for the subway, a subway map, $20, and told him she'd see him when he got home. Thankfully he made it home safely:) I personally have mixed feelings about this...I can see both the positives and negatives of this. Here is a link to the story so you can read it for yourself. I am curious to hear what everyone else thinks!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23935873/

Webkinz!

I can't decide who likes Webkinz more at our house, my son.... or me.....

For the uninitiated, Webkinz is a virtual online world. You "get in" by buying a Webkinz stuffed animal that comes with an access code. Then, you get to take care of your "pet" online. It's a great site for kids because it doesn't link to anything else..... it's like a virtual gated back yard.

You get to feed your pet, bathe it, "talk" to it, take it to the vet, decorate its house and yard, buy it stuff (LOTS of stuff) all with play money that you "earn" on the site..... by playing games, taking quizzes. But the games are SOOOO addictive!

So yesterday while we watched the Red Sox, LM and I played on Webkinz a whole bunch. The moment Little Man gets up to do something else, I ask, "Can I play on Webkinz?" "Sure Mom, win me a whole bunch of money!" It's such a time-sucker. And I can't get enough. The people who run Webkinz MUST know that plenty of parents secretly play with the "pet" after the kid goes to bed.....

Did I mention it's addictive?

Hmmm..... I wonder.... if I play a round of "Color Storm" or "Cash Cow" from work, how bad would that be? I need my FIX!